PRESS BRIEFING BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

The Sudan was at risk of a potential repeat of last year's crisis situation when there had not been enough food to maintain the basic level of sustenance, Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), told correspondents at a Headquarters' press briefing this afternoon. In last year's great tragedy, she added, people had died because the international community had not had access. This year, there was access, but the same tragedy could happen again because there was not enough food.

Issuing an urgent appeal for the Sudan, Ms. Bertini said that the international community, which had previously been very generous in its virtual full funding of the WFP programme, had only given about 55 per cent so far of the Programme's needs for this year. The Sudan needed about 124,000 metric tons for the current calendar year, and the WFP was trying to raise about 55,000 metric tons to be able to make it through the rest of the year.

Existing food stocks would only last into June, she said. It was critical for the international community to come forward with pledges for the Sudan because if a pledge was made in March, it usually took three months for the food to arrive. Now was the time for food pledges.

Ms. Bertini said the WFP had launched an appeal for $142 million worth of food. Essentially, 55 per cent of that had been met. The United States, the only contributor so far, had given wheat, but beans, oil and other commodities were needed. The WFP was calling on other donors to help make up the difference this year.

The WFP was concerned because fighting was continuing in Bahr el Ghazal, as well as in western and central Upper Nile, the Executive Director said. It was hoped there would be a continuation of the very fragile, but absolutely critical ceasefire, which was up for review on 15 April. The ceasefire was also critical for the international community so that the WFP staff could move food in by truck rather than air-dropping it.

She said that almost all the food going into southern Sudan was still being air-dropped, which was the only way it could be done because of the security concerns. The cost of air-dropping food as opposed to delivering it by truck was dramatic. A longer-lasting peace on a broader scale would enable the WFP to expand its overland transport facility, which would be critically important for the future so that more resources could be spent on food rather than on transport. This month, the WFP was operating 14 cargo aircraft.

A correspondent asked what concrete actions she expected from the international community in the next month or so to overcome the situation in southern Sudan. Ms. Bertini replied that the WFP would hope for specific

pledges in commodities and cash for transportation and overhead. Or they could give cash to purchase food in the Sudan.

Asked to name some of the donor countries, she said the United States had been the only donor to date. The other major donors who had given last year -- and it was hoped that they would be in a position to give again -- were the European Union DG8 (a development group), the United Kingdom and Japan. Others were Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Donations from any country, private sector or non-governmental organization were welcome.

Another correspondent asked how long supplies would last, and when the crisis might hit when they ran out. Ms. Bertini said that if no more food was received, WFP stocks would run out some time in June, and the crisis would be shortly thereafter.

What was the present situation in North Korea and what were the short- term and long-term outlooks there? another correspondent asked. The food shortfall in North Korea was severe, the Executive Director replied. The country did not grow enough to sustain itself; many countries did not. But there was not enough ability in the country to bring in enough food, and that was why the international community had to send food aid.

She said that the shortfall for the last few years had been about a million metric tons, and the food aid had come in through bilateral sources and through the WFP. Last year, the agency had sent in about 600,000 metric tons. It looked as if the needs would continue, at least for the foreseeable future, because without a major increase in agricultural production or some other means for trade, there would still be a food shortfall in that country.

Had allegations of spying under United Nations cover in Iraq had a spillover effect on agencies working in countries suspicious that the Americans were up to no good? another correspondent asked. Did the WFP face such suspicions in North Korea and the Sudan? Were they suspicious of telecommunications equipment?

The Executive Director said the correspondent had just hit on the two countries where the WFP was not allowed to use satellite communications. Because of the war in the Sudan, it was a much more serious case there. In North Korea, however, in the event of a car accident, for example, there was no acceptable way at this point to communicate with the WFP office.

What was the explanation given and how long had that been going on? the same correspondent asked. Ms. Bertini replied that it was still an issue being negotiated with the Government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. It had been agreed, in principle, on a humanitarian basis, that the WFP could proceed with communications equipment, but the details of

WFP Briefing - 3 - 22 March 1999

that agreement had not yet been worked out. In North Korea, the agency had been told that the military did not like the idea of foreigners using such equipment.

That was not a reaction to any of the other stories that had come about, she added. Both had been issues that had been going on since the WFP had been operating in both countries. The agency had seen no other reaction as a result of the news stories.

Another correspondent asked whether, in light of the United States bombing of a Sudanese factory last year, the Government there was reticent to accept food aid. The Executive Director said the Government of the Sudan had received gratefully the contributions of the United States and any other donor. It was also accommodating to the WFP in terms of the work of its staff and any potential visits.

Had the WFP been able to address the problem of internally displaced persons in Kosovo, or had it been forced to suspend any of that because of the flare-up of hostilities? another correspondent asked. Ms. Bertini said that, to her knowledge, the WFP had not suspended operations and hoped to continue as long as possible in terms of distribution.

She added that it was very challenging for WFP staff in Kosovo because they had to find the displaced people and then get the food to them in very unconventional methods. One staff member had rented a horse to locate people in the hills and then find a place where they could stay long enough for the WFP to get the food to them.

Returning to the Sudan, another correspondent raised criticism by non- governmental organizations that the WFP operation was benefiting fighting groups rather than people in need. Some United Nations officials had found that both the Government and the rebels expected the WFP and other United Nations aid agencies to take care of the people; they felt no obligation to those people and just spent money on weapons.

Ms. Bertini said that if the world were perfect, large amounts of every government's budget would be spent on social welfare, education, health care and taking care of one's own. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In too many places, nonetheless, it was the responsibility of humanitarian workers to be in a position to ensure no one was starving and to get food to people who were at risk of starvation no matter what else was going on.

There had been allegations in the Sudan that food aid was sometimes reappropriated, she went on to say. The WFP had a large monitoring system, established there since last spring. The agency had a high degree of assurance that the food was actually getting to those people for whom it was targeted. One of the problems came in the redistribution of the food by the communities themselves, a factor that no agency could control.

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